Animus Distillery Arboretum Gin 700ml

Gold Medal - 2017 Melbourne International Spirits Competition

50% ABV. This takes savoury to a new level. A complex herbaceous gin that does exactly what it says on the bottle, hitting the drinker with a wonderful array of sappy, resinous and spicy notes that derive from a range of distillery-grown, Australian ingredients as well as some classic gin botanicals. Fresh strawberry gum leaf is used for its delicate floral and menthol hints. There's native bush tomato with its distinctive tamarillo notes. Rosemary and bay leaf build on the herbaceous depth, while orange, both zest and flesh, are included to round out the palate. Underneath it all, notes of bold juniper, coriander seed, and citrus remind you you're drinking a gin after all, and an incredibly bold and precise one at that. There's enough silky texture and flavour going on there for you to sip this on its own; alternatively it's going to serve as a brilliant canvas for those clever bartenders. Could not be anything but Australian, but an absolutely world class gin nonetheless.

Botanicals: Juniper Berry, Capsicum, Cardamom, Angelica Root, Bay Leaf, Bush Tomato, Cloves, Coriander seed, Sarsaparilla Root, Lemon Thyme, Mountain Pepper Berry, Star Anise, Lemon, Orange, Strawberry Gum Leaf, Rosemary, Turmeric.

"Bold, complex, intriguing gin, with layers of aromatics running from the bass notes of bush tomato up to the high notes of citrus. A little stronger than most, too, at 50 per cent ABV." Max Allen, Gourmet Traveller